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503 Aldergrove - Mistreated by Translink bus driver!

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by 503aldergrove, Sep 13, 2014.

  1. This bus driver who drives the 503 to aldergrove picked me up from King George sky train station and wouldn't bring the ramp down so I could get up with the stroller, he told me, a single person, to take my son out, carry him and fold the stroller up and carry that at the same time. I said no, I'm by myself I can't do that. He then said he could wait. I then proceeded to try to get on the bus, carrying the stroller up struggling to do so. An older lady then helped me bring it up. I got on the bus and he said this bus was not meant for strollers, I said I've been taking this bus everyday for the past few days, he said well I've never seen you. I then told him maybe you should get a different job, and he nearly kicked me off. At the end of the bus ride, I waited till everybody got off, took the stroller backwards down the 3 stairs of the bus and told him he's ridiculous for letting a young mom bring their 5 month old baby down the stairs of the bus like that. PLEASE SHARE!
     
    the mechanic likes this.
  2. the mechanic

    the mechanic Active Member

    ... thanks for sharing this with us, 503aldergrove ...

    ... the teachers hysteria we're being pummelled with in the news media is a sign that government workers are a very unhappy bunch right now. i too had a recurring problem with a bus driver where i live. eventually we had a big argument and since then i've stopped taking the bus. i'm going to recount the full story on my website in the future and i'll be sure to post a link in this forum when i do ...

    ... be careful with bus drivers. they're arrogant and not the brightest folks around ...
     
  3. Night Of GuardianS

    Night Of GuardianS Active Member

    That bus driver should be fired.
     
  4. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    Please make a formal complaint... www.translink.ca/ or 604-953-3040 during business hours...

    Send a copy/link to CTV news and/or GlobalBC...

    Also to your Surrey city council too...
     
    bill barilko likes this.
  5. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    Anyone can request the lift at any bus stop **with the international wheelchair symbol shown on the bus stop...
     
  6. the mechanic

    the mechanic Active Member

    ... hearing about (not to mention experiencing) problems with bus drivers is even more disconcerting in light of the fact that the bc government has made it harder for seniors to keep their driver's licenses, thus many will be forced to take the bus. in fact, my own mother has told me that with the new regulations she has stopped driving and will experiment with her local bus service ...

    ... but do we really want our senior citizen parents dealing with some of the morons the government is putting behind the wheels of buses? i think not ...
     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2014
  7. sss

    sss Guest

    there's 2 sides to every story. don't judge! cyber bulling! who knows if the bus was full? was it rush hour and there wasn't enough room to have a stroller but maybe enough room if the stroller was folded...??? some of these strollers are huge. maybe there were seniors or other stroller already on the bus? not fair that there is a picture posted to put a target on somebody.
     
  8. luanne

    luanne Guest

    There's always two sides to this story. I was on this bus and remember this particular incident that day. The "mom with the stroller" forgot to mention that she also verbally abused the driver for a good 10-15 minutes saying swear words in front of her kid. The driver only asked her if she was willing to come up without the lift, and was refusing her, but she already went on a rampage until someone actually just picked up the whole stroller (it wasnt a big one) and brought it in. The driver did not say any mean word to her and she kept swearing at him. What a role
    model mom huh? The other passengers beside me was already getting uncomfortable with the verbal abuse this poor driver was getting. Before any of you righteous people judge, hear both sides first!
     
    Stuntman likes this.
  9. luanne

    luanne Guest

    I was on the same bus when this incident happen. This mom with the stroller who
    posted this forgot to mention that she was verbally abusing this driver for a good 10-15 minutes and using swear words in front of her kid. All this bus driver did was ask the woman if she was willing to bring up her stroller without a lift and she went on a verbal rampage until someone who wanted to get on the bus actually just lifted the whole stroller up and bring it in (it wasnt a big stroller, get over yourself). She then proceeded to verbally abuse this poor driver to a point where customers around me were starting to get uncomfortable. The driver kept quiet until he politely asked her to stop or get off the bus. Any sane person would not take this abuse from anyone so why would he? I wouldnt! I would've kicked her off the bus sooner! So for all of you righteous people, know both sides of the story before handing out your unwanted, baseless judgement!
     
    Stuntman and Superchecker like this.
  10. luanne

    luanne Guest

    correction: driver was simply asking if she was willing and he was NOT* refusing her..
     
  11. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    You too can go to www.translink. ca/ and fill out a customer service report about this incident...
     
  12. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    OK, so we have TWO people here that ride the #503 service... Any comments on the new #503?? Old #502 services?
     
  13. May102014

    May102014 New Member

    I had a similar unpleasant experience with a bus driver during my sophomore year in college. There was a bus that picked up students across the street from the university. I took the bus to get to work after completing an afternoon class because my car was in the shop. Some of the students were a little rowdy and so forth. Well, one day it was just me at the bus stop and the driver drove WAY past the bus stop and almost to the end of the street corner. I remember thinking how weird it was but made no fuss about it. I get on the bus and before I could even put the fare into the machine, he pressed down on the gas pedal almost at full speed to the point where I nearly lost my balance and fell. I sat down in the back and remember him glancing at me in the rearview mirror. It was only me and an elderly male passenger on the bus. The male passenger even looked bewildered at the driver's inexplicable hostility. When I pulled the string to signal the bus to stop, the driver refused to open the door at the bus stop and stared at me. The elderly passenger asked the driver what was his problem and he open the door thereafter. I was stunned and didn't know what to do. Just a creepy experience with an unhappy and bitter jerk.
     
    the mechanic likes this.
  14. the mechanic

    the mechanic Active Member

    ... so what you're saying is, if the aggrieved customer files a complaint he/she automatically goes back in time to when the incident happened and it all gets done over correctly this time? because if not, the damage is done and reporting the incident won't change that ...

    ... and to suggest that a customer must not only file a complaint with the bus company but also report the incident to the media and to the municipality -- JUST TO GET NORMAL SERVICE (!!!) is preposterous! if that's what it takes to get treated respectably then just avoid taking the bus altogether if you're able to ...
     
  15. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    All I am saying is that "if" you feel the need to complain, complain to the right people...

    Get the company involved... If the employee needs to be re-educated or talked to, or whatever, let that employee be dealt with in the proper way...

    If you still don't feel the problem was dealt with properly, them get the media and/or politicians involved...
     
    milquetoast and honeycomb like this.
  16. the mechanic

    the mechanic Active Member

    ... your post doesn't need clarification, Superchecker. what you're saying is exceedingly clear ...

    ... but to suggest that a victim of abuse should call the news media or their MLA as opposed to filing a criminal complaint with the police demonstrates that you're not being serious about helping mistreated bus customers ...
     
  17. Dan

    Dan Junior Member

    Apparently there was a lot of people taking the 503 to aldergrove.....
     
  18. Dan

    Dan Junior Member

    I was almost hit by a bus running a red light at Boundary and Hastings. I've seen these guys run a few red lights over the years.
     
    the mechanic likes this.
  19. Bruce B.

    Bruce B. Guest

    i have a friend in the media, here's some interesting information that was just made public. recently the police investigating the illegal "on line posting" received video/audio from that bus (apparently every bus has cameras and audio, similar to a black box on an airplane). the recording clearly shows the driver saying "get out of the way the ramp IS on it's way out" and about 20 - 30 seconds later the driver saying "why you caring it up when i told you the ramp WAS on it's way out?" the recording then hears a female voice repeating verbally abusing the driver, saying the same thing 4 or 5 times before the driver says "if you continue saying that you'll be asked to leave." the police and translink has more information to support the driver but will not be released to the public at this time. (could be an actual video)

    the drivers lawyer and translinks lawyers are waiting for the police investigation to be finished and then can/will be pursing criminal charges followed by a lawsuit to the person(s) that posted the drivers picture on a social media web site with a story that can now be proven to be false. also, the police went to this girls resident to warn her about the illegal posting on facebook and offered her a face-to-face meeting with top management of coast mountain and translink to discuss the original complaint about the "wheelchair lift not being used" and she refused such a meeting. Why refuse such an opportunity if you have nothing to hide?....unless you know you'll be caught in a lie.

    it's unbelievable that 10 000 people on facebook decided to be Judge, Jury, and Executioner of this bus driver based on a one-sided-story written by a teenage mom looking for some kind of online sympathy and/or attention.

    PLEASE "SHARE" the other side of the story on facebook and let people make an informed decision.
     
  20. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    There is ALWAYS 2 sides to a story... Actually 3 sides: Person A's; Person B's; and then the truth....
     

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